


Fairy Tail: The Tower of Heaven

by Navek



Series: The Fairy Mythos Series [3]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:41:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21542395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Navek/pseuds/Navek
Summary: This series has been rebooted and is being rewritten as Fairy Tail: The Bravestar Saga! With Erza in their grasp, Jellal and the Cult of Zeref are ready to bring their dark lord back to life. However, Fairy Tail will fight to the death to save their comrade. Lives will be lost, sins of the past will come to light, and nothing will ever be the same again.
Relationships: Alexander (OC) X Mirajane, Cana Alberona/Gray Fullbuster, Erza X Reginald (OC), Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox, Lucy Heartfilia/Freed Justine, Natsu X Alyssa (OC), Zeke (OC) X Juvia
Series: The Fairy Mythos Series [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/794766
Kudos: 3





	1. The Gathering Storm

_(Opening - Eiyuu Unmei no Uta by EGOIST)_

_Sore wa oroka naru na_

_Daga toki wa motomu_

_(On chessboard stand two sets of pieces; black pieces resembling members of the Cult of Zeref and their mercenaries and red pieces resembling key members of Fairy Tail.)_

_Fukutsu no eiyuu_

_Sono monogatari wo_

_(Jellal holds Erza's piece in his hand with a sinister smile on his face, he fails to see Silas standing behind him, observing him from the shadows.)_

_Lead us Lord of light_

_(Zoom out to see the entirety of the Tower of Heaven as the story logo appears. We then get quick flashes of characters; Jellal and Noah representing the Cult of Zeref, Team Morningstar and Maelstrom representing Fairy Tail, Trinity Raven and Tamara representing Death's Head Caucus, Siegrain and Ultear representing the Magic Council, Amelia representing the Rune Knights, and Fuyu representing the Holy Crusaders.)_

_Chiisaku kanadeta_

_Ai wa hazama wo samayou_

_Todokanai_

_Unmei ga azawarau_

_(Flashbacks to innocent times; Erza and her friends plan their escape from the tower, unaware of a young Noah watching them. A younger Team Crosshairs is seen going on a quest, smiling and joking. Team Morningstar as children along Jackson and Lisanna gathered around a campfire. Finally, we see Lucy and Tamara playing within the Heartfilia mansion before everything shatters.)_

_Hedateru sekai wo_

_Umete anata ni aitai_

_Mi wo kogasu sono ai ga_

_Wakatsu made_

_(The Magic Council begins to debate, Silas looks up at the tower with a nostalgic look, Makarov falls to his knees as a silhouette of the deceased Rob stands behind him, and Hoshi and Fuyu staring down each other, anger clear in Hoshi's eyes.)_

_Hito wa sakenda seigi wo_

_Sono hata wo takaku kakage_

_Kako no ue ni tate_

_(Amelia, Lord Ewing and a Rune Knight squad march through the halls of Era. Noah casts his magic, summoning an army of the undead from the bowels of the tower. Finally, we see Erza break her chains, ready to fight.)_

_Yami wo haraisusume_

_Kono mi ushinau tomo_

_Osore yo hirefuse_

_Watashi ga hasha to naru_

_(Alexander yells and turns the wheel, the Argo Navis firing on the tower. Lucy and Lupus clash with Tamara, the Celestial Wizard and her spirit both surrounded by a blue aura while they block a series of bloody weapons. A diamond-skinned Lyle and Bernard punch each other, the impact of creating a shockwave. Zeke and Natsu evade Silas' Shadow Spikes on the back of Blazing Aegis. An armored Alyssa then leaps and fires off a Jetstream Knuckle, forcing the Shadowman to dodge.)_

_Sei araba susume_

_Ganzen no shouri wo_

_Akatsuki tabidate_

_Yoake wa mou sugu_

_(Gray blocks the combined attacks of Sho, Wally, and Milliana with an Ice Rampart, giving Elfman and Cana a chance to counterattack. Lilith unleashes a barrage of lightning at Helena as the later moves at superspeed. Erza and Jellal face each other in the Control Room, the redhead re-quipping into her Negative Armor while her former friend glows with Anti-Light.)_

_This is our fate_

_(Erza swings her sword and Jellal thrusts his glowing arm forwards, the two spells colliding and creating a blinding light at the top of the tower.)_

_**Navek and xpegasus present** _

_**A Fairy Mythos Story** _

_**Fairy Tail: The Tower of Heaven** _

_**Chapter 1: The Gathering Storm** _

_**The Tower of Heaven...** _

"Brothers and sisters, the time is almost upon us," Noah proclaimed, addressing his fellow cultists through the tower's speaker system. "We have the cores. We have the Ethernano. And we have the vessel. By tomorrow, our dark lord will be among the living once more!"

This declaration was met by cheers that echoed all throughout the cursed tower, drowning out the whimpering of the slaves and golems.

"And now, our leader and master of the Tower, Jellal Fernadez, would like to say a few words," Noah said before passing the mic to Jellal.

"Thank you, Noah," the blue-haired man said before speaking. "My friends, I have a simple question: what is freedom? You might have a vague idea in your head, but I guarantee that it's the simple, childish version. You see, true freedom…"

'Oh for the love of Dravos, WHY THEY ARE THEY STILL TALKING?!' Tamara thought to herself as Jellal continued his nonsensical speech about 'freedom.' For the last two hours, the red-clad mercenary, her compatriots, and other assembled security forces were gathered in the control room to listen to Noah's speech to his followers. And they were a weird bunch, even weirder than her usual company.

One guy looked like he was made of rectangles, one girl looked like a humanoid cat, and one big guy had an eyepatch and a turban on his head. The only normal looking one was the blond guy with a playing card obsession.

But these wackjobs were also paying her guild 50 Billion Jewels to act as security. So who the hell was she to judge?

_**Last Night…** _

_It seemed like it would've been an ordinary night as I escorted Erza back to Fairy Hills. We were chatting when we were suddenly ambushed by four strangers. Or at least, they were strangers to me._

_The first was a man who looked like he was made of legos and dressed in a royal blue suit, sunglasses, a boater hat, and a white scarf. The second man had brown skin with wavy blond hair, dark green eyes, a '5' tattoo on his lower lip, a single earring on his left ear, and wore a maroon waistcoat and a roulette-like bracer on his right arm._

_The lone woman of the group had brown hair and eyes and had a whole cat aesthetic with painted-on whiskers on her cheeks and a bell choker on her neck. And the tallest and most muscular man had an eyepatch, a metal plate covering his jaw, and wore Tarunian clothing with a sash._

_But more unnerving was how…familiar they seemed to be with Erza. One of them called her 'big sis' and she even addressed them by name; Wally, Sho, Milliana, Simon. They told her that someone named Jellal was waiting for her and that it was time for her to return to 'the tower.'_

_Whoever this person was, I could tell that Erza was distressed by the name. Even if I didn't know what sort of history they had with Erza, I could tell these four weren't to be trusted. I told them that if they wanted Erza, they need to go through me. You can guess how they reacted._

_Before the four could attack, I slid in the Aether. I decided to 'test the waters,' so to speak, sliding in and out of the Aether and seeing how they'd react to my arrows. The blond had Roulette Magic, summoning a coin shield to block some of my shots, the cat-girl knocked them out of the air with Ribbon Magic, and blocky man separated into hundreds of little cubes._

_But the big one, Simon, had the most…unsettling magic. He removed the plate covering his jaw, revealing a swirling black hole inside his mouth, swallowing my arrows like Natsu swallowing fire._

_I decided to bring an end to this battle with an underhanded tactic by sliding behind the cat girl and holding one of my bow guns to her head. That got the others to stop, but also go Erza to yell since she had been strangely quiet this whole time._

_But Erza was silenced with a loud bang. Blood and pain exploded out of my right shoulder; the one in the blue suit had transformed his arm into a gun. As I reeled back, the catgirl sliced my chest with her claws. The blond man threw glowing playing cards at me that sent me crashing to the ground. The big one walked over to me, ready to remove his metal jaw until Erza stepped between. She told them to stop, that she would go willingly if she left and the rest of the guild alone._

_They smiled and said yes._

_I begged her not to go. But as Simon opened some kind of swirling portal, Erza turned back to me, a sad smile on her face._

" _Tell everyone…I'm sorry."_

"After they stepped through the portal, I used my last bit of consciousness to slide to the guild," Reginald said as he finished his story. After his nephew had fallen in front of him, Lyle had brought him to Porlyusica's place. While the eternally cranky healer did decide to bandage Reginald up, Lyle summoned Makarov to hear what he had to say when Reginald woke up.

"So, did any of that mean anything to you?" Lyle asked the two elders.

"How the hell should I know? I only leave when I need supplies." The pink-haired woman groaned out.

Makarov sighed before looking up at his three fellow guildmates. "I know what this tower is. And I know about its master."

_**And then…** _

"As Lyle said through the Fairy Path, the Cult of Zeref has spent the last hundred and fifty years building a massive tower in the Eastern Sea. Why they have built this tower is unclear, but we know it has been built through slave labor."

"Wait a second, Gramps!" Gray shouted amongst all the gathered wizards inside the Fairy Tail guildhall. "Master Lyle said the Magic Council knew about this. Doesn't that mean…"

"Yes. The Magic Council has known about the tower for the last fifteen years."

This statement from the former master caused the guildmates to chatter.

"If the council knew about it, then why is the tower still standing?!" Robin shouted.

"They were planning to send a group of Rune Knights to save the slaves and destroy the council. But in the fifth year of the planning stage, the newly-appointed Wizard Saint and Council Member Siegrain Fernadez revealed a fact that stopped all of the Magic Council's actions; the current master of the tower is his twin brother, Jellal."

"What?!"

"What kind of excuse is that?!"

"Siegrain begged the council that he could talk his brother out of crimes. And supposedly, he's been attempting that for the past decade." Makarov continued. "But clearly, those talks have failed."

"What does Erza have to do with any of this?" Mirajane asked.

"…that, you will have to ask Erza about."

The sound of a door opening got everyone's attention as Lyle stepped out from the Guildmaster's office. He took a look over all the Magnolia wizards before addressing them.

"What we do today will be one of the most perilous tasks our guild has ever attempted since the Trade Wars of old. When we attack the tower, we will be going against the wishes of the Magic Council." The bespectacled guild master stated with a stern expression. "I have always valued the laws that keep the wizards of Fiore in line. So trust me when I say…"

Lyle gripped the railing so hard it crumbled beneath his palm. "FUCK THE MAGIC COUNCIL!"

This statement led the Fairy Tail wizards to cheer.

"These cultists have stolen one of our family! Just as they have stolen and destroyed other families for over a century! NO MORE! We will march to the tower, rescue Erza and everyone in their clutches, and then, WE WILL DESTROY THEIR TOWER AND BRING THEM TO JUSTICE!"

"That's all well and good master, but how will we get there?" Alexander spoke up. "None of us can teleport, and any us that can fly can't carry all of us."

"Leave that to us, Captain," Marianne said with a smirk before leading everyone to the beach below the cliffside.

"The Jabberwocky was our home for so many years. So when it was destroyed by a certain someone…" Marianne explained, throwing Natalie a quick dirty look. "...the Starlight Crusaders decided they would work to rebuild the Jabberwocky."

"You rebuilt it?!" Alexander asked with glee.

"Weeeelll, we tried," the yellow-haired wizard replied with a sweatdrop. "Turns out that building an entire ship from scratch is more expensive than we thought. So, we turned to an alternative solution."

A burly pirate approached Alexander, pulling a box out his shirt. "We got this from a sea hag. She said her sailin' days were over, but theirs wasn't."

"Thank you, Terry," the one-eyed wizard before opening the box. Inside was a silver Celestial Spirit. The teeth were in the shape of three sails while the base of the key had the symbol of a ship. Inside the box was an inscription; Argo Navis, the Ship Constellation. Alexander took the key in his hands, examining it before stepping towards the sea, everyone giving him space as he held out the key.

" _I call upon thee in the world of the Celestial Spirits."_ The blue-haired wizard began to chant. " _I beckon you to my side at once. Pass through the gate!"_

With the sun's rays reflecting off the key, Alexander swung the key down in an arc. " _Open, Gate of the Ship Constellation - Argo Navis!"_

A flash of light shined through the magic circle. When the light faded, a blue & gold ship about half the size of the Jabberwocky was now docked on the beach.

"Hmph, a bit smaller than I thought, but not bad," Alexander said as the drawbridge came down. Another few wizards followed the one-eyed wizard onto the ship, including Natsu. The Fire Dragon-Slayer looked confused as he tapped on the Argo's hull.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked.

"It's weird. I don't feel sick at all."

"…the ship's not even moving."

"Ya, but the waves are still hitting it. Usually, that's enough to make me queasy," Natsu replied, causing the blonde to sweatdrop.

"Okaaaay," Lucy then began to look around. "So where's the spirit?"

"You rang, Missy?" Someone suddenly said. Soon after, an old man with yellow eyes, a long white beard, a dark blue captain's coat and a star-shaped cane in his hand phased up through the floor, shocking the poor blonde.

"Let me guess; you're Argo Navis," Alexander said as he approached the old man.

"Well, kind of," the old man said before tapping the deck with his cane. "OY, GET YOUR ASSES UP HERE! WE HAVE GUESTS!"

"Oh boy!" A young voice said before a boy in a sailor suit and hat phased through the floor. He was followed by an adult man wearing dark blue pants, a white & blue striped shirt, and a dark blue bandana around his head. The gathered wizards that the boy and man bore a striking resemblance to the old man with the same hair and eye color.

"Ease it with the attitude. Someone's gotta keep us clean," The man stated.

"That's no excuse for rude manners," the old man said before turning towards the wizards. "So, which one of you summoned us?"

"That would be me," Alexander stated, holding up the Argo key as proof. "The name's Alexander Marvell, Fairy Tail mage, former pirate, and collector of Celestial Keys."

"Awesome! I'm Carina!" the boy exclaimed with glee.

"The name's Puppis," the man chimed in.

"Welcome aboard. My name is Vela," the old man said. "And together, we are Argo Navis."

"… you're all Argo, how does that work?" Alexander asked with a sweatdrop.

"More like we're all different aspects of the same spirit given physical form," Puppis explained.

"Basically, he is me, I am he, he is he and we're all we," Carina chimed in.

"Oh, I get it!" Robin said with a thumbs up.

"Really?" Natalie asked.

"Nope!" the behatted wizard replied, making her friends groan.

"I guess you guys are like Pisces," Lucy said. "Although I'm still confused about the whole two-spirits-in-one thing."

"They're extradimensional beings beyond our comprehension; I wouldn't question it," Alexander said. He turned back to the three spirits. "Listen up, Argos; we're gonna need to table the contract negotiations for now. You see, one of my colleagues was taken by a demon-worshipping cult and-"

"Ahahah, say no more," Vela said with a wave of his hand. "I've never been one for elaborate contracts."

"As long as there's sailin' to be done…" Carina began.

"…and evil to be fought…" Puppis continued.

"…then the Argo Navis is ready to sail, whenever, wherever." Vela finished.

"Well alright then," Alexander said before looking around. "Though this voyage might be a tad cramped."

"Says you," Carina said before placing his hands on the deck of the ship, blue magic circles in his eyes. With an alien chant, the Celestial Ship expanded ten-fold, becoming massive enough to carry the entirety of the Fairy Tail guild and then some.

"How did you-" Lucy began to ask.

"Easy; this ship is our body and our body is this ship," Puppis explained.

"We can change our size, weapon loadout, and appearance like you guys change clothes." Carina chimed in.

"Oh, so that's why I'm not gettin' sick!" Natsu exclaimed.

"What? How does that make sense?" Hoshi asked.

"Because this isn't a ship; it's a spirit," the Dragon Slayer stated, earning a sweatdrop from his sister.

"Alright, everyone; gather all the gear and tools you might need," Lyle proclaimed as he stepped off the Argo Navis. "We leave in an hour." And as the rest of Fairy Tail began to prepare for the upcoming battle, Lyle knew he had one more conversation to have.

_**Solivar…** _

"Are you sure you have to go, sweetie?" Tessa asked Juvia as she and Happy stood by the Lockser's front door.

"I really wish I could stay, but it's official guild business," the blue-haired wizard replied.

"Just be safe," Abraham pleaded.

"I always am," Juvia replied with a smile before hugging her parents.

"You guys ready?" Zeke asked as he approached the doorway, now clad in a new outfit consisting of a dark green shirt, an open black coat, black gloves, blue jeans and his usual sneakers.

"Yup! Let's go kick some evil wizard butt!" Happy shouted with a raised paw. The three wizards stepped outside the house, giving Happy room to transform into his Lion form and summon his wings.

"We'll be back soon," Zeke said before Happy took off into the sky, the older couple watching the three fly towards the titanic battle.

_**Southern Sea Forest…** _

After his wife wished them luck, Balam and Alyssa headed off to join the battle. But while the orange-haired woman wanted to run back to the guildhall, her master pointed out that she would drain herself to death if she tried to run that distance all in one day. So he led her to a rather peculiar spot in the woods.

It was a large clearing with two tall trees and smooth grass.

"Is the guild still on the cliffside?" Balam asked as the two stood next to the trees.

"Ya, why?" Alyssa asked.

"Good. Then we'll be there in no time." The old wizard said with a smile before taking a stance. " _Animal Mimicry: Slime!"_

In a burst of magic, Balam transformed into a giant green slime with squinted eyes. If Alyssa didn't just see Balam transform into that slime, she would've thought it was cute.

" _Alright, now step inside of me,"_ Slime-Balam ordered, causing Alyssa to double-take.

"…you know I'm engaged, right?"

" _Dios mio, why does everyone always think this is a sex thing?!"_ The older wizard said, his voice causing his body jiggle. " _Look, if you're worried about your clothes or hair, I have complete control over this form."_

"If you say so," Alyssa said before...stepping into Slime-Balam's body. But while she did get the sensation of being underwater, she could still breath and felt no slime touching her clothes and hair. "Woah, this is pretty cool."

" _That's nothing,"_ Slime-Balam said before he grew two slime arms, each one grabbing a tree. He then started to slither backward, his slime arms stretching as they kept holding the trees. It was only then that Alyssa realized exactly _how_ Balam was going to get them to Magnolia.

"Oh, shit."

" _Alright, I'm gonna let go on the count of ten. Uno, dos, DIEZ!"_ Slime-Balam proclaimed before launching them into the air like a slingshot. And soon, the sounds of hearty laughter and feminine screaming echoed through the Fiorian skies.

_**Magnolia…** _

He had stood over this grave numerous times over the years. And like before, Mystogan placed a fresh bouquet of flowers on this grave.

"Wherever you are, I'm sure you have forgiven me by now," the cloaked man spoke. "But I don't know if I could ever forgive myself." After offering a prayer, Mystogan walked towards the hut. "But given the circumstances, I can't afford to indulge in self-loathing."

Two years ago, the cloaked man had found a weapon of magnificent splendor. He knew that in his hands, that shield could be an indestructible instrument of justice. But at the same time, he was unworthy to use it. After all, if he couldn't even protect the woman he loved, how could he even hope to protect others. At least that's what he told himself.

"Even if I am unworthy…" Mystogan began to say as he removed his robes and bandages. As he did so, he recalled something one of his old friends said not too long ago.

" _We've all lost something or someone close to us! So what the hell makes your pain so damn special?"_

The outfit underneath was a blue & black vest over a white shirt, a pair of black pants, and black bracers on his arms with matching gloves. While his brown hair was unruly, his eyes showed a fierce determination.

He carefully removed the hay that made up the floor, revealing an intricate shield of silver & blue. The shield also doubled as a sheath for an equally majestic sword. After strapping the shield & sword to his back, the former Team Morningstar wizard walked out of the hut, giving one last prayer before heading towards the guildhall.

_**And then…** _

" _Alright, I'll see what I can do on my end,"_ Amelia said, conversing with her husband via Magic Projection. The couple had just finished coming up with a secondary part of Fairy Tail's overall plan. " _Just be careful."_

"We're technically committing treason," Lyle replied with a slight smile. "Careful isn't really an option."

" _I know. Still never hurts to say it."_ the blonde archer chimed in. " _Love you."_

Lyle smiled. "Love you too." And with that, the projection was canceled. The guild master walked out towards the guildhall, seeing his extended family planning and gathering their gear. He walked towards Alexander, who was sitting at the bar and planning out their course with Carina and his former pirate crew.

"Have you figured out the fastest way?" Lyle asked.

"It should take us seven hours to reach the tower by sea. Three hours by air," the childlike spirit said.

The Material Master picked up that last with a raised eyebrow. "By air?"

But as Carina gave a cocky smile, Mystogan walked into the guildhall. His entry was mostly ignored by everyone, save for a lone fire dragon-slayer, who instantly recognized his scent. Natsu turned and saw his old friend, sans his usual cloak.

"So, you decided to join us, eh Mystogan?" Natsu asked.

"No," The unruly brunette said before smiling. "Mystogan isn't joining you. Because it's time for Jackson Zephyr to fight once more."

And the salmon-haired wizard smiled in return as the two bumped fists.

"Now kiss," Robin whispered as she watched the two from her table.

"Really?" Natalie asked as she lined the insides of her tracksuit with every Magic Ring she could carry. "We're about to go to war and you're still acting like a perv?"

"Why are you actin' surprised?" Gajeel said as he ruffled Robin's hat. "That's just Robin for ya."

"Exactly," the blonde replied. "Say, do you think Bickslow would be up for a quickie?"

"Hold up," the black-haired dragon-slayer said before looking around. "Does anyone else hear that?"

"Hear what?" Natalie asked before Natsu started to listen as well.

"Sounds like someone screaming," The salmon-haired wizard chimed in.

"Huh. I hear it too." Gray said as the sounds of a feminine scream seemed to be getting louder and louder. "What the hell is-"

Before the Ice-Make Wizard could finish his sentence, the roof of the guildhall exploded as Slime-Balam landed in the middle of the room with Alyssa still inside and still freaking out.

" _Ah, Fairy Tail…"_ The Animal Mimic/Soul Armor wizard said as he expelled his passenger, the orange-haired amazon wobbling and silently thanking the solid ground beneath her. " _...still as rustic as- hey, when did we redecorate?"_

"Well, that takes me back," Makarov said with a smile. "Balam, you old alleycat!"

"All these years and you still lack any form of subtly," Ju chimed in.

" _Maki! Ju!"_ Balam cried out in joy, spitting out Alyssa before turning back into his human form. "I see you two have only gotten shorter since I last saw ya."

"And you still think that damned 'Slime Catapult' is still a good way to travel," the former guildmaster replied.

"As the saying goes; if it isn't broke don't fix it," Balam countered, hugging his old teammates. Meanwhile, Alyssa finally readjusted herself from the massive rush. But when she did, she was greeted with the smiling face of her beloved.

"Alyssa!" The dragon-slayer shouted as he rushed towards her.

"Natsu!" She cried back with a smile, picked him up and spinning him around.

"You changed your hairstyle."

"It's a long story," Alyssa replied with a chuckle as they looked into each other's eyes. "You have no idea how much I missed you."

"So why don't you show me?" Natsu said, the two sharing their first kiss in over a month, not caring who was watching.

"I see they're still as affectionate as ever," Jackson said with a smile.

_**And then…** _

"Alright, everyone! We're setting sail!" Alexander proclaimed as he took the wheel of the Argo Navis. The Argos revealed that aside from changing their dimensions, they could also alter the weapons loadout and even change it from a watercraft to an aircraft.

"Aether Engines are primed and ready!" Puppis shouted.

"Everyone's on board and accounted for!" Vela reported. And indeed, almost all of Fairy Tail had boarded. Morningstar, Maelstrom, The Unholy Trinity, Shadow Gear, The Thunder Tribe (including Reginald, who came along despite having his arm in a cast), Crosshairs, the Midsummer Knights, the Star Crusaders, and all the solo wizards.

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go!" The one-eyed Celestial Wizard shouted.

"Aye, aye!" The Argos shouted as their engines blazed to life. And so, Fairy Tail flew towards their destiny, ready to face whatever evil they might encounter.


	2. Chaos in Heaven

**Author's Note 1: The Fairy Mythos Series is a non-profit fanfiction series.**

**Fairy Tail and Fairy Tail Series II are all owned by A-1 Pictures, Satelight, Bridge Madman Entertainment, Funimation TXN, Kodansha, and Hiro Mashima.**

**Any original characters and concepts are owned by Navek or xpegasus.**

**Please support the official release.**

_Chapter 2: Chaos in Heaven_

All her life, Erza knew she would eventually meet her end within the halls of this accursed tower. It would seem that fate was determined to lead her here. But if she was going to meet her end, it wouldn’t be as a prisoner waiting in her cell; it would be on her feet, sword in hand. 

And so, the redhead continued to jump until her head was positioned just right near her hand. And in an instant, she grabbed the pin she kept hidden in hair for just such an occasion. 

‘Looks like Cana was right about keeping stuff hidden in your hair,’ the redhead thought as she used the pin to unlock her shackles. With the magic-canceling shackles now off her, Erza could feel her mana freely flowing through her again. In an instant, she requipped one of her swords and sliced up her cell bars. 

With determination in her eyes, Erza ran out of her cell, ready to bring an end to Jellal’s evil, no matter the cost. 

Meanwhile, in the Tower Control Room, Jellal and Noah were observing a feed that their sensor wizards had just picked up; the Argo Navis, flying towards the tower. 

“Do you think it’s the Magic Council?” Noah asked.

“Doubtful, unless those fools have gone behind Siegrain’s back to mount this attack,” Jellal replied. A wicked, almost playful smile spread across his face. “Then again, it doesn’t really matter. None can stand before the might of our faith.” 

Back on the Argo Navis, Carina was hanging from the mast of his ship self, looking ahead through a spyglass. Soon enough, he saw what he assumed was the Tower of Heaven. But he also saw a massive horde of flying… worm things with gun-wielding cultists riding atop them. 

“Aw, crap,” Carina said before activating the speakers inside his ship-self. _“Guys, we’ve got a whole bunch of crazy flying things headin’ right for us! If anyone of you Fairy guys can fly or shoot ‘em down, that’d be a big help right now!”_

In a matter of seconds, a few of the Fairy Tail wizards made it onto the deck of the ship, ready to fight. 

“Here we go!” Mirajane shouted as her magic flared around her. _“Take-Over: Satan Soul!”_ She engulfed in dark magic, transforming her into her Satan form. Freed, Evergreen, Bickslow, and Natsu weren’t far behind as they watched Mirajane take to the skies, ripping the worms apart with her claws.

“We can’t let her do all the work,” Freed said. _“Dark Ecriture: Wings!”_

_“Fairy Wings!”_ Evergreen exclaimed. She and Freed took off and started blasting and slicing worms and cultists alongside the white-haired wizard.

_“Re-Quip: Artillery!”_ Bickslow’s dolls were replaced with heavy artillery cannons, and a wild grin spread across his face. “Go get ‘em, babies!”

“Get ‘em! Get ‘em!” the dolls yelled as they blasted the cultists out of the sky.

“Vile apostates! You dare stand against Lord Zeref,” a cultist shouted. “You shall know the full wrath of our-” The cultist was cut off by a flaming fist to the face.

“Shut your trap!” said Natsu, now airborne thanks to his Dragon Wings. “You’re gonna know MY wrath for messing with my family.”

The worm riding cultists dropped like flies as the wizards of Fairy Tail bombarded them with all sorts of magic, clearing a path for Argo Navis. “Alright, maties, FULL SPEED AHEAD!!” Alexander shouted as the Argo Navis blasted ahead towards the beachhead, where an army of cultists was waiting. “Damn it, just how many of these nut cases are there!?”

“It’s alright, I’ll take care of these punks,” Makarov said from the galley of the ship. “One spell and this is all over.” The former Guild Master began to channel his mana, until-

_“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Makarov.”_ To the shock of every wizard in the galley, a magic projection of Jellal appeared before them. 

‘By the Founders, he is Siegrain’s twin!’ Lyle thought. It unnerved him just how similar they were even for twins, they were identical down to the tiniest detail. In fact, the Fernandez brothers almost seemed too similar.

“You must be Jellal,” Makarov replied, making the tower master smirk. 

_“Indeed I am. And I assume you’re here to take your precious Erza back.”_

“You’re damn right we’re here for Erza!” Elfman shouted. However, the blue-haired man ignored him and continued to speak with Makarov. 

_“A noble endeavor, but Erza came to us willingly, so I would kindly ask you to respect her wishes and leave,”_ Jellal said.

“She came to you _willingly_ the same way a man willingly gives his wallet to someone holding a knife to his throat,” Makarov said. “We’re not leaving without her, and that’s final.”

_“So you’re willing to risk your lives and perhaps even sacrifice them all for the sake of one person?”_

“That’s right.”

_“I see, but what about the lives of others?”_ Makarov and the others stared at Jellal in confusion. _“If I had to take a guess, Makarov, you’re planning on using Fairy Law to destroy me and my comrades.”_

“What?! How do you know about-” Lyle began to shout before Jellal continued. 

_“Every guild has an ultimate spell that calls upon small mana reserves from its guildmates. And suffice to say, Fairy Law has become rather infamous among the criminal underworld. Especially after your grandson massacred the Hangman Guild with it.”_

Reginald’s eyes widened in recognition. A few months before the Thunder Legion’s attempted coup, they had gone on a mission to stop the Dark Guild Hangman from trafficking some kind of mana-boosting steroid. And unfortunately for the Thunder Legion, all of the Dark Guild’s 200 plus guildmates were also using the steroid, amplifying their magic to insane degrees. The resulting battle quickly pushed the five of them to their limits, and in an act of desperation, Laxus used Fairy Law to utterly disintegrate the criminals. 

_“So naturally, my comrades and I have a contingency for that,”_ Jellal stated as he pulled up his left sleeve, revealing a glowing blue brand on his arm. _“I assume you’re familiar with Body Link Magic, right? You see, whenever we ‘conscript’ a new laborer to our cause, we brand them with the same magic tied to me. You can see where I’m going with this, right?”_

Makarov’s eyes widened in horror. “You didn’t…” 

_“Oh, I did. So go ahead; use Fairy Law to destroy me and my followers. You’ll save Erza, but at the cost of every slave within the tower. Just thought I’d let you know.”_ The wizards of Fairy Tail stood there in shocked silence while Jellal only grinned in amusement. _“What are you waiting for? Go ahead, cast Fairy Law and save Erza.”_

“Jellal,” Makarov said, his low and dangerous. He glared at the cult leader with burning fury and rage as his knuckles turned white. “You’re the devil.”

_“And you’re a coward,”_ Jellal said with a smirk. The Magic Projection cut off, leading the leadership of Fairy Tail to realize that their ace in the hole was just taken off the table. 

“Alright, it looks like it’s time for Plan C,” Lyle said.

“We have a Plan C? I didn’t even know we had a Plan B,” Makarov said.

“We do now.” Lyle turned to Vela, Plan C already coming together in his mind. “Get me Warren, Reggie, Kageyama, teams Morningstar and Maelstrom, and have the rest of the guild storm the beach.”

“Aye, aye!” Argo Navis touched down on the beach, the hull opened up to reveal a hundred Fairy Tail wizards ready to face off with gathered army.

“With Zeref, we are forever! With Zeref, we are forever!” They chanted as a column of them created a barrier around the ground entrance. Along with the massive horde of flying worm riders flying around the higher levels, it was clear to Fairy Tail that they would be in for one hell of a fight. But that never stopped them before. 

(Music Que - Fairy Tail Main Theme 2014 Battle Version Ost)

“Alright everyone; let’s show these bastards what happens when you mess with Fairy Tail!!!” Lyle exclaimed, using his Absorption Magic to gain metal skin before leaping from the Argo Navis. Team Shadow Gear, Crosshairs, the Unholy Trinity, the Midsummer Knights, and all the rest followed suit while Alexander, Marianne, and the rest of the Liberators stayed on the Argo Navis. 

_“Ice-Make: Armored Leviathan!”_ Ur shouted before launching an ice construct.

_“Metal Hammer!”_

“ _Smoke Magic: Smoke Rain!”_

_“Purple Whip!”_

_“Light Beam!”_

_“Brave Panther!”_

_“Beast Aura: Rhino Horn!”_

_“Solid Script: Lightning!”_

_“Plant Fist!”_

_“Sonic Burst!”_

_“Iron Dragon’s Roar!”_   
  


_“Big!”_

_“Wire Whirlwind!”_

_“Sand Burst!”_

In a matter of seconds, the battlefield descended into chaos, with magic and weapons flying around in a mad storm. 

“Alright, let’s knock that barrier down!” Alexander shouted before spinning the wheel hard to port. “Port Side Cannons; FIRE!!!” 

As the Celestial Ship turned, the massive array of cannons fired upon the barrier. The wizards casting the spell strained from the attack as sweat dripped from their brows. Even as their shield was bombarded by Argo Navis and Fairy Tail’s wizards, the cultists stood their ground and redoubled their efforts.

(Music Que End)

While the battle was raging, Jellal, Noah, Silas, and Oroboros were watching it from an observation lacrima. 

“Looks like you were right,” Noah stated. “Fairy Tail is reckless as ever.” 

“They’ll need to be with their strongest spell off the table,” Jellal said. From their corner, both Silas and Oroboros were only slightly concerned with the observed battles. Compared to the Forty-Year War, this was barely a skirmish in their eyes. 

As for Jellal, he continued to observe the battle, he noticed something, or rather the absence of something. He could make out the current and former Guild Masters, their teammates, and a few other teams and solo wizards. But he couldn’t see team Morningstar or Erza’s Maelstrom. Given what he knew about Fairy Tail, Jellal would have figured they’d be on the front lines, and not seeing them made him uneasy.

Far below the control room on the ground floor, a shadow portal had opened up in an isolated part of the tower far away from the guards’ sight. Natsu, Alyssa, Lucy, Hoshi, Jackson, Gray, Elfman, Cana, Reginald, Warren, and Kageyama walked out of the portal before the shadow wizard closed it. 

_“We’re in, Master,”_ Warren stated, using his Telepathy Magic to link the impromptu infiltration wizards’ minds with Lyle’s. 

_“Excellent. Good job, Kageyama,”_ Lyle replied as he went toe-to-toe with an axe-wielding cultist. _“You guys know your objectives; find Erza, get the slaves out of the tower, dispel their Body Link magic, and destroy the tower from the inside.”_

_“Roger!”_ They responded before Reginald turned to Kageyama. 

“Good luck, man,” Natsu said to Kageyama with a thumbs up. The black-haired wizard smiled in kind. 

“Thanks,” Kageyama replied before placing a hand on Reginald’s shoulder. “Let’s do this, pretty boy.” 

After the two vanished into the shadows, Warren placed his pointer and middle fingers on his forehead. _“Mind Search!”_

With a burst of mana, the black-haired wizard began to mentally scan the tower, until he found Erza a few floors above them. He could also sense the many guards she was fighting.

_“Erza!”_ he thought, momentarily surprising Erza as she disabled her latest opponent. 

_“Warren?! What the hell are you doing here?!”_ the redhead thought. 

_“We’re here to save you.”_

_“We? Who else came with you?”_

_“Everyone. We’re gonna free you and bring this damned to-”_ Warren’s eyes widened before he said, “What the hell?” 

“What happened, Warren?” Lucy asked. 

“I was talking with Erza, but then she was…cut-off, I think,” the big-lipped wizard replied. He scanned the same area where she’d just been, but the redhead was gone. Strangely, he could still feel the minds of the guards and how they were getting knocked around. “I think she’s still there, but I can’t establish a link. She was on one of the lower levels.” 

“I’m on it,” Alyssa said before blasting off at super-speed. 

In another part of the tower, a shadow portal appeared in the slave quarters, the slaves huddled together in fear, certain Silas had come to devour them. Their fear turned to confusion as two unfamiliar wizards, Kageyama and Reginald, stepped through instead. The slaves backed away the strangers looked at them, terrified at what they might do, but Reginald offered a kind smile and showed them the green Fairy Tail mark in his palm. 

“Do not be afraid. I’m Reginald and this is Kageyama. We’re from the Fairy Tail guild, and we’re going to get you out of this tower.” He broke the lock on a cell and offered his hand to a little girl with one eye. She looked him in the eyes, and saw only warmth and kindness and gingerly took his hand. After breaking all the locks, Reginald told some of the girl and her family to place their hands on him, touching his head, shoulders, back, and chest while Kageyama placed his hand on the back of his head. 

_“Slide.”_ Instantly, Kageyama, Reginald and the family that had placed their hands on him slid into the Aether Sea before sliding out in front of Porlyusica’s house. 

“What the-” The pink-haired recluse began to say before seeing the abysmal state the family was in. “Explain. Now.” 

“Short story; and evil cult used slave labor to do some evil shit, and their boss is using Body Link Magic to keep Makarov from using Fairy Law,” Kageyama summed up. “Reggie here is gonna slide them out of the tower, so you’re gonna have company, old lady.” 

While a part of Porlyusica wanted to chastise the Shadow Wizard for his attitude, she put that aside to aid the abused family. “Get them inside. I know a thing or two about breaking Body Link magic.” 

“I’ll help ya out,” Kageyama said, leading the slaves inside the pink-haired elder’s cottage as Reginald began his mission, sliding back through the Aether and into the Tower. 

Meanwhile, Erza was currently surrounded by a group of guards armed magic weapons. Alongside her signature Heart Cruz armor, the redhead was now also wearing a black helmet with a blue gem on the crown. But before the fight could continue, a familiar red and orange blur burst into the room and knocked out the guards. 

“Been a while, Tin Can,” Alyssa said with a smile before looking at Erza’s helmet. “Huh, that’s new.” 

“Of course you’re here too.” Erza muttered before shaking her head. “Just get out here.” 

“What?” 

“You’re linked to everyone else, right? Tell them to leave the tower, now,” the redhead ordered. 

“Are you kidding me?” Alyssa exclaimed. “We all came here to save you and everyone else inside this tower and you want us to turn tail and run!” the orange-haired woman said, getting up in her rival’s face. 

“I DIDN’T ASK YOU COME FOR ME!” Erza screamed, grabbing Alyssa by her collar. “I DON’T NEED YOU HERE, AND I DON’T WANT YOU HERE!!!” She pushed Alyssa away, nearly making her fall. “So leave, now.” 

With a scowl on her face, Alyssa grabbed Erza by her breastplate and lifted her up. “Where the hell do get off with that attitu-” 

Before Alyssa could react, the redhead punched her in the face, forcing Alyssa to let her go. 

“What the hell was that for!?” Alyssa growled, ready to start arguing…until she saw tears falling from Erza’s face. 

“I…I can’t have anyone risk themselves for me.” Erza struggled to speak through her tears. “Especially because…all of this is my fault.” Her cheeks burned as hot tears ran down her face and fell to the floor.

“E-Erza?” the Speed Wizard said, utterly shocked at the redhead’s tearful state. 

“Jellal, the cult’s leader, the mastermind of this abominable tower, I-I could’ve stopped him years ago…but…but GODDAMNIT!” The Re-Quip wizard cried out, a decade of repressed emotions finally beginning to breakthrough. 

Alyssa had no idea what to say. And through the mental link, the rest of the infiltration team was seeing their friend break down. For most of their lives, they saw Erza as the stoic ace of Fairy Tail. While she had some of her sillier moments, most of the time she was all business. But this crying mess…it just felt wrong, even as Erza wiped the tears from her eyes. 

“Just leave. The last thing I need is for any of you to get hurt over me,” the redhead stated, a tone of finality ringing through. “If any of you died trying to save, I’d never forgive myself.” She began to walk away, until Alyssa placed her hand on Erza’s shoulder. 

“You know that’s not how we do things.” Alyssa said before pointing towards her guildmark. “When one of us is in trouble, we all rush to help them, no matter what.” 

“But what if the one who needs help doesn’t deserve it?” Erza spat out, causing Alyssa to raise an eyebrow. 

“What are you talking about?” 

“Twelve years ago, I had a chance to stop all of this,” Erza explained, gesturing to their surroundings. “But instead I ran like a coward, letting them finish this tower and putting everyone in danger.” She gazed at the floor, fist clenched tight. “All of this…is my fault.” 

“That’s bullshit!” Alyssa shouted before taking the helmet off Erza’s head faster then she could react. And with it off, Warren’s Mental Link was re-established and the infiltration team began to speak their minds. 

_“Come on, Erza! This isn’t like you!”_ Natsu exclaimed. 

_“You fought for me before, so I’ll fight for you!”_ Lucy said. 

_“What kind of team would we be if we left you to fight by yourself?”_ Gray said. 

_“Giving up on your friends ain’t manly at all!”_ Elfman yelled. 

_“You’ve gotta be insane if you think we’ll leave you here,”_ Cana stated. 

_“We might not know each other that well, but I know I’d want some help if I was in trouble,”_ Hoshi said. 

_“Same,”_ Warren added in. 

“You guys,” Erza said, genuinely touched by her guildmates’ words. But before anyone could say anything else, more guards burst into the room. At the same time, the rest of the infiltration team also found themselves facing cultists. 

“Looks like we’ll have to wrap this up for now,” Alyssa said, passing the red helmet back to Erza. The redhead nodded before placing the helmet back on. 

“Alyssa, I have only one request.” 

“What is it?” 

“Jellal is mine to fight,” Erza proclaimed as she raised her sword. Her tone left no room for arguments or questions. “One way or another, he will die by my blade.”

“Fine by me. But you owe us a full explanation after,” Alyssa said as she got into a boxing stance, deciding they had more pressing issues at hand. “Trust me; keeping stuff bottled in is never a good thing.” 

“That’s fair.” And so, the two women rushed into battle, swords, and fists at the ready. 

_“Looks like Erza’s onboard,”_ Lucy thought as she parried with a guardsman, kicking him back before summoning Taurus to her side. 

_“So it’s up to the nine of us to bring this tower down,”_ Grey thought as he summoned an ice barrier to block a barrage of gunfire. But as Warren took control of some of the worm beasts with his magic, a smile appeared on his face. 

_“Better make that twelve of us,”_ Warren said as he linked all of them together…with three very familiar faces. 

_“Hey, guys! Did ya miss us?”_

In the bottom level of the tower, Zeke, Juvia, and Happy had emerged from an underground water passage and were currently in the midst of their own battle with cultists. 

_“It’s been a while!”_ Happy said as he threw a lacrima grenade at his foe

_“Zeke? Juvia? Happy? When did you guys get here?”_ Natsu asked. 

_“Same time you did,_ ” Juvia stated as lashed a cultist with a water whip. _“We saw the rest of the guild storming the beach from our boat, so we figured we should find our own way into the tower while with cult distracted.”_

_“So Juvia put us in an air bubble, letting us sneak in from one of the underwater passageways,”_ Zeke said, summoning his bow and shooting the axe out of a cultists’ hand. 

_“Heh. Now these guys are really screwed,_ ” Alyssa thought as she took off in a burst of speed, knocking down several of the guardsmen. 

Outside, the collective forces of Fairy Tail were still in the midst of battle with the Tower Guards. However, the flow of the fight began to change as a robed cultist raised both their arms into the air, a massive orange magic circle appearing underneath them. 

“You will not stand in the way of our Lord's return! _Lava-Make: Colossus!!”_ A massive creature of lava roared as it manifested in front of the tower. The robed cultist leaped onto it’s shoulders. “Kill them all!!!” 

With a deafening roar, the creature fired a massive lava ball at the Argo Navis, hitting the ship directly. 

“OUCH!!! THAT HURT, DAMMIT!!!” Pupis screamed as the ship and its personifications began to fade. 

“Sorry, Alexander,” Vela said. “Looks like this is all we can do for now.” 

“Don’t sweat it,” the one-eyed wizard said with a reassuring smile before addressing his crew. “EVERYONE, ABANDON SHIP!!!” 

As the Argo Navis vanished for the day, the Star Liberators leaped off and landed on the beach, ready to fight even as the Lava Monster continued to lob lava balls at them. 

“That thing’s gonna be a real pain!” Wakaba stated. 

“Yes, you fools!! This is the power of devotion!” the cultist screamed as their construct continued its rampage. “YOU WILL ALL DIE SCRE-” 

Suddenly, a massive ball of lightning crashed through the golem’s head and struck the beach, sending several cultists flying, the construct beginning to fade. 

‘Wait, that lightning!’ Freed thought to himself. 

“No way,” Bickslow said.

“Laxus!?” Evergreen shouted. 

Out of the crater stepped, not Laxus, but a woman who bore a striking resemblance to him, like a smaller female version of the traitorous Lightning Wizard. She had a spiky blonde mohawk and wore black sunglasses over her eyes. Her outfit consisted of a black sleeveless shirt that cut off just above her six-pack abs with a lightning bolt in the center, a pair of camo pants, black boots, black fingerless gloves, and a black leather jacket with “THUNDER GODDESS” printed on the back in yellow that she wore off her shoulders like a cape, exposing her toned arms. A yellow Fairy Tail mark was stamped on the left side of abdominals. 

“Who the hell is she?” Gajeel asked. However, Macao, Wakaba, and Lyle faces all split into huge grins when they saw her. 

“Lilith, you crazy bitch!” Macao shouted as he blasted some cultists away with his purple flames. 

“Hey, boys!” the blonde woman said with a cocky smile of her own. “Did ya miss me?” 

“Well, I didn’t miss your crappy timing,” Wakaba said as he used some Smock Chains to hold a worm creature in place before Lyle punched it out. 

“Glad to see you too, Waka,” Lilith said before looking towards a group of armed cultists heading right for her. 

“Alright, you jackasses!” She proclaimed as lightning started to flow around her as she cracked her knuckles. “Time for you to learn the most important lesson in life; don’t fuck with Fairy Tail.” She reared her right arm back, a yellow magic circle appearing in front of her fist. 

_“Lighting Demolition Fist!”_ She chanted before punching ahead, creating a huge fist effigy of lightning that blasted the cultists away. 

“You fuckers better get ready to die! Because Lilith Dreyar has come to zap all of your asses!” 

“Well, it appears our guests have some back-up,” Noah said as him, Jellal and Silas watched the arrivals through their viewing lacrima. “So let’s respond in kind.” 

**“Probably for the best. Otherwise, you just wasted your mon-”** Silas began to say before he saw the lacrima that showed Zeke, Juvia and Happy fighting. In particular, he saw the arrows of green light that the brunette shot out of his bow. **“Hehehehehehe…”** The living shadow began to chuckle before it turned into a loud laugh. **“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”**

“M-Master Silas?” Noah asked, surprised by the Shadowman’s sudden laughter.

**“You can send out your mercenaries. But the archer below...is mine.”** Silas said before stepping through one of his shadow portals. 

“Well, one less problem for us to worry about,” Jellal said before projecting himself to Bernard, Helena, and the Death’s Head Mercenaries, informing them of the situation. “You all have your targets. Now deal with them.” They left without a word, ready to fight and kill.

Back with Alyssa, she ran through the tower’s corridors, knocking out every guard she passed. She’d just kicked another guard in the head, but suddenly, a blue and black blur body-checked her and sent her flying into a nearby wall. 

“Ow. What hit me-” Alyssa began to say before her eyes widened in shock. 

“Well, looks like you took your strength training seriously,” Helena said, rolling her left shoulder. She was clad in a blue sleeveless shirt, black tights, and dark blue boots. “Like hitting a wall.” 

“M-Master?” Alyssa said in disbelief. 

Outside, Alzack and Bisca aimed and fired a barrage of bullets at a group of guards. However, the bullets stopped in midair before launching back the gunslinging duo. 

“What the-” Alzack shouted before being forced to evade a flying buzzsaw. The saw came back around, but Lyle quickly leaped in the way, his cobalt skin deflecting it. 

“Nice to see that your new job hasn’t dulled your reflexes,” Lyle turned and saw Bernard walking towards him, now clad in a dark green jacket, black jeans, and shoes. Attached to his belt were two strange-looking pouches. 

“You!” the Absorption Wizard said with a furrowed brow. 

“It’s been a while, little brother,” Bernard said with a smirk. 

“Bernard?!” Makarov said, spotting the man from a distance. But before he could do anything, the short man felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw a man dressed in a schoolboy uniform (cap and all). He had curly blond hair, brown eyes, and had a sack of marbles attached to his short’s belt. 

“Hi, I’m Henry!” He said with a smile. “You wanna play?”

“What the-” 

“Good! The name of the game is…” Henry began to say before taking a marble out of his sack. And strangely, the marble began to spin with impossible speed. “...Sudden Death.” 

In the lower levels of the tower, the trio of Zeke, Juvia, and Happy were making their way towards the next floor, only for a shadow portal to appear in front of them. Silas and Oroboros stepped out of the portal, the former grinning ear to ear. 

“What the...why the fuck is she here?!” Zeke shouted as he saw Oroboros. 

**“Oro, be a dear and keep the others busy.”**

The Snake Spirit nodded, unsheathing her toxic sword and leaping at Juvia. The blue-haired woman turned her body into water. The blade harmlessly passed through the water, but as it did it glowed purple for a brief moment. 

“Hmph, a Body Magic Wizard,” Oroboros said, her curiosity piqued. “Your kind is tricky, but not unbeatable.” Juvia silently she stared down her foe, Happy standing next to her. 

“Get away from her!” Zeke shouted, ready to fire an Arch Shot spell at the snake spirit, only to be forced to dodge Silas as he swung his cane at him. 

**“I wouldn’t worry about her, boy,”** the Shadowman said, the red in his eyes glowing even brighter than ever. And when Zeke looked at his opponent’s eyes, he felt like he had ice coursing through his veins, the raw killing intent in Silas’ eyes paralyzed him. The inhumanly large grin wasn’t helping much either. **“Because you’re my prey now.”**

**_To be continued…_ **

**Author’s Note 2: After all this time, The Tower of Heaven Arc has truly begun!! And it might be one of the biggest battles I’ve ever written.**

**Next Time: The Brother’s Oath! Please Remember to read, favorite, review, and help this story by editing the TV Tropes Page!**

**See ya next time!**


	3. Speed Queens

_Chapter 3: Speed Queens_

Alyssa had no idea what to expect when Fairy Tail attacked the Tower of Heaven. Crazy cultists were expected. Maybe some mercenaries. But the one thing the orange-haired wizard never expected to see was her old master standing above her.

"Well, Alyssa? No hello?" Helena Teagan asked. "It's been ages since we've seen each other, don't you want to catch up?"

"Why? Why are you here?" Alyssa asked, her mind still reeling from the shock.

"Now that…is a complicated question," the black-haired woman replied as her former pupil stood up straight which made Helena lookup. "My god, you've gotten tall."

At this point, Alyssa was thinking that fate was playing a cruel trick on her. It had been only recently that she saw the vision of Helena inside her own mind. Now here she was, face-to-face with the real thing, Fairy Tail's original Speed Queen.

"Mast...Helena, do you know what these people are doing?"

"What? The slaves? The hourly chanting? Or the fact that these assholes are planning to resurrect Zeref? Yup, I got all of that," Helena replied. "But the skinny blue-haired twat said that if we helped out his brother, then Bernard and I would be exonerated. Sounded like a fair deal."

"You're willingly working with them," Alyssa said, her voice overflowing with barely contained rage. Her blood boiled at Helena's indifference towards the cultists and their actions. But before the orange-haired woman could do anything else, she suddenly heard Zeke through the mind link.

" _If anyone's not too busy, I could use some-SHIT-I could use some help! This shadow guy is seriously freaking me out!"_

" _What shadow guy?"_ Natsu asked.

" _Well, he's got creepy red eyes, silver hair, and it's almost like he's made of shadows,"_ And when Alyssa heard that description, her breath almost hitched.

" _Zeke!"_ Alyssa screamed in her mind. " _That's the Shadowman!"_

"… _oh. Oh, fuck!"_

" _Just hang on! I'm on my way!"_ Alyssa mentally shouted before taking off in a burst of speed. However, Helana suddenly sped up and stopped in front of Alyssa, forcing her former pupil to a screeching halt. Alyssa then decided to run in a different direction, but Helena stopped ahead of her again. And again. And again.

"Helena, I don't have time for this!" Alyssa shouted.

"Well, I can't just let you run around the place," Helena said nonchalantly. "That blue brat upstairs probably wouldn't like that."

Alyssa grit her teeth, growing decidedly impatient as she threw a punch that Helena easily evaded.

" _Speed Queen: Rapid Punch!"_ The orange-haired woman shouted as she unleashed a barrage of superspeed punches at the older wizard, but the black-haired woman simply evaded the blows with seemingly no effort.

"Well, you definitely took your strength training seriously," Helena stated as she could feel the power behind Alyssa's attacks by the sheer air pressure each punch was generating. "But maybe it's time for me to teach you the nuances of Speed Queen magic. First off; form."

As if to emphasize her point, Helena evaded another blow, Alyssa's fist smashing into the wall behind the smaller woman. The black-haired wizard then began to channel magic into her hands, which began to vibrate at superspeed.

" _Speed Queen: Vibration Palm Strike!"_ With a quick succession of jabs to the abdomen, Alyssa was pushed back, coughing up spit as she did so.

"You're just swinging your arms, trying to land as many hits as possible," Helena stated. The orange-haired woman grit her teeth before she began to spread magic all throughout her body.

" _Speed Queen: Tornado!"_ Alyssa shouted, spinning rapidly until a small wind funnel began to form around her, drawing in all the wall paintings and benches in the hallway. However, Helena was undeterred as she readied her counterspell.

" _Speed Queen: Tornado!"_ Helena spun in the opposite direction, generating her own tornado. The furious winds clashed and canceled each other out, leaving the two speed wizards off their feet. Acting on instinct, Alyssa then channeled her magic into her arms.

" _Speed Queen: Vibration Break!"_ With a powerful swing of her arms, Alyssa cracked the floor and it quickly began to give way. Helena leaped off the collapsing floor, ricocheting off the wall before flying at her disciple.

" _Speed Queen: Thousand-Strike Punch!"_ Helena attacked Alyssa with a barrage of strikes that orange-haired woman was barely able to block. But as the fell to the floor below, Alyssa didn't notice Helena winding back her leg.

" _Vibration Kick!"_ Helena struck Alyssa in her side, sending her crashing into a piece of rubble. Alyssa fell to the floor in a crumpled heap, blood spilling from her mouth, while Helena gracefully landed without a scratch.

"Next up is physics," the black-haired woman stated. "You've more than made yourself stronger. But maybe too strong. Magic will only make you so much faster before your muscle mass starts to slow you down."

Helena then began to channel magic for her next spell, Alyssa grit her bloody teeth as her eyes began to glow.

" _Speed Queen: Million-Strike Punch!"_

" _Jet Empress!"_

As Helena leaped to attack her old student, Alyssa's body alighted with purple magic. In an instant, Helena reeled her first back in pain as she saw Alyssa clad in her Soul Armor.

" _Maybe I'm not as fast as you…"_ Alyssa proclaimed as she got up. " _...but I'm a hell of a lot stronger than you."_

"Huh. How about that?" Helena replied with a raised eyebrow. She then held her arms out, two yellow magic circles appearing before each arm. "Looks like I'll have to go all out. _Re-Quip: Runic Tonfa."_

With a flash of magic, two dark blue tonfas covered in glowing blue runes appeared in Helena's grasps. Helena rushed around Alyssa to strike the back of her head, the tonfa's runes glowing brighter.

" _Tonfa Art: Cross Strike!"_ The tonfa glowed as Helena struck Alyssa...only for the tonfa to bounce off of the gold metal. Alyssa turned as fast she could and reared her fist back.

" _Jetstream Knuckle!"_ With a swing of her right arm, a stream of highly-concentrated magic burst from Alyssa's fist that Helena barely dodged, the blasting a large hole the wall behind her. Alyssa was ready to strike again…

" _AHHH!"_

" _Zeke!"_

Natsu and Zeke's pained screams reverberated through the mind.

Distracted, Alyssa let her guard down for a moment, allowing Helena to unleash another barrage of tonfa strikes against Alyssa. The armored amazon held up her ground, using her mana to reinforce the sturdiness of her armor. However, the sounds of Natsu and Zeke battling against the Shadowman still played in the back of her mind. She had seen first hand how dangerous and brutal the silver-haired etherious was. And now the two most important people were seemingly alone with the monster that had haunted the edge of her subconscious mind.

As such, Helena began to realize that her foe seemed distracted. While Alyssa would still swing her armored fists and attack, the black-haired woman could tell that her mind seemed to be somewhere else. Taking advantage, Helena focused on striking Alyssa with her tonfa, only using her Speed Queen magic when she needed to dodge an attack. The sudden melee turned into a battle of attrition, Helena carefully using her mana to outlast her former pupil.

However, the two Speed Queen wizards heard the sudden blast of thunder before a bolt of lightning appeared between the two from the hole above them. The lighting transformed into Lilith, her blue eyes glaring at her former teammate from behind her sunglasses.

"Hey, Helena. Looks like you're still as traitorous as ever," the punk-blonde said with a sneer.

"And it sounds like you're still a giant hypocrite, Lilith," Helena replied, a scowl on her face. The black-haired woman attempted to attack the blonde with a burst of superspeed. However, Lilith unleashed a pulse of lightning that blasted Helena back before she could even get close.

" _Go save your team,"_ Lilith mentally said to Alyssa over the link, lighting sparking around her. Alyssa was hesitant to leave the older woman to deal with her old teacher, but she could feel Lilith's righteous anger on the edge of her mind. Her mind was settled as she once again heard Natsu and Zeke struggling against the Shadowman.

So with a nod, Alyssa wished Lilith luck before dismissing her Empress armor and dashing towards the lower levels. As she ran down, she saw Juvia battling against Shé as the bluenette unleashed a thundercloud against her foe. A gaping hole to another room lay behind the combatants.

The orange-haired amazon rushed into the room and saw that Silas was about to consume Natsu and Zeke with a massive Shadow Maw arm. In a burst of speed, Alyssa ran and saved her teammates as the maw slammed against the soaking floor.

"Thanks, Alyssa!" Natsu said, smiling as he saw his fiance. Zeke looked up and saw her as she put the two down.

"Huh. You cut your hair," the brunette said, huffing from battle.

"And you got rid of your suit," Alyssa joked as the three turned their eyes towards Silas, his red eyes glaring at the trio.

" **Well, well, well. The girl who got away is here too."** The silver-haired etherious said, licking his lips as he smiled. " **Looks like I get to settle all my unfinished business today. Lucky, lucky me."**

There was no need to talk amongst themselves as three readied to fight again. Natsu struck a dragon pose, his draconic Beast Aura following around him. Alyssa resummoned her Jet Empress armor, taking a boxing stance with her fists clenched. And Zeke aimed his bow at their foe, Emerald Aegis appearing behind him.

The founders of Team Morningstar were reunited, ready to battle the monster that unknowing haunted most of their lives.

_To be continued…_


	4. History of Light & Darkness

_Chapter 4: History of Light & Darkness_

Zeke could remember every battle he had fought until now. His loss against Lyon on Galuna Island. His victory against Freed. Defeating Yaza alongside Natsu. His tie and then subsequent loss against Totomaru.

But one thing that stood out against his current foe was that those he fought before were true opponents who only wanted to either fight or kill him. But this silver-haired man that appeared out of the shadows…this was different. He wasn't looking at him like a foe he was desperate to defeat. The way his red & black eyes stared at him was like an animal sizing up his prey. Hell, he was even chuckling.

" **Fate really does have a sense of humor!"** Silas proclaimed he swung at Zeke with his cane again. Zeke deftly avoided and parried the stikes. " **To think that someone like you would appear in this tower again."**

"The fuck are you on about!?" Zeke asked. He managed to get some distance from Silas and fired a barrage of arrows. Silas melted into shadow to evade the arrows, but one of them managed to pierce his shoulder. As pain coursed through his being like liquid fire, the Silas let out a howling, ear-bleeding laugh that sent shivers through Zeke's body.

" **Even the pain is similar."** Silas chuckled as his shoulder regenerated. " **I hope you're watching this, Augustus. Because I'm going to savor. Every. Second."** The etherious raised his arm towards Zeke, a wicked grin on his face. " _ **Shadow Maw."**_

Silas' arm transformed into a massive shadowy mouth overflowing with razor-sharp teeth. The arm elongated and rushed towards Zeke like a serpent striking its prey.

" _Barrier!"_ Zeke shouted as an emerald barrier appeared before him, barely a second before the Shadow Maw swallowed him.

" _ **Shadow Tendrils!"**_ Four spiked tendrils shot out from the maw and maneuvered around the barrier to skewer Zeke. He rolled out of the way and the tendrils and dismissed the barrier, then took aim at the Shadow Maw.

" _Arch Shot: Seeker Arrow!"_ The thin arrow streak shot forward and pierced the demonic mouth. Zeke controlled the arrow's direction with his fingers, piercing Silas' arm dozens of times over. The etherious reeled back in pain as his Shadow Maw was forcefully dispersed.

Rather than being angry or even annoyed at Zeke, Silas' eyes lit up with delight as he burst out into another fit of bone-chilling laughter. " **Hehehehehe."**

"S-Stop laughing!" Zeke shouted as he fired another barrage of arrows. Silas turned his body into a thin shadow that faded into the floor, evading the spells as they shattered the walls behind him.

" **What's the matter, boy?"** Silas' voice echoed throughout the room. " **Are you afraid?"**

Suddenly, Zeke was suddenly engulfed by shadows, Juvia's voice screaming in worry as the brunette archer was shoved into the hole in the wall. When Zeke was released from the shadows, he felt himself fall into a shallow pool of water. He opened his eyes and saw that he was in a tall room with several tiny holes in the wall that let water in with a walkway above him. And it was on that walkway that Silas re-manifested in his human form.

" **Tell me something, boy; do you know the origin of your Arch Shot magic?"** The silver-haired being asked.

"...of course I know. What of it?" Zeke asked, curious at this question.

" **Humor me. Regale me with the history of your hereditary magic."** The red-eyed man ordered. " **I mean, I'm still gonna kill you, but I want to make this last."**

In response, Zeke pulled his string back and fired a Spiral Arrow. However, Silas once again turned into shadows, evading the attack.

" _If anyone's not too busy, I could use some-SHIT!"_ Zeke mentally shouted before Silas suddenly reappeared behind him. But Silas' eyebrow raised when he saw a second set of eyes on the back of Zeke's head before another shield appeared around the brunette as Silas struck, his shadow tendrils bouncing off.

_"-I could use some help! This shadow guy is seriously freaking me out!"_

" _What shadow guy?"_ Natsu replied.

" _Well, he's got creepy red eyes, silver hair, and it's almost like he's made of shadows."_

" _Zeke!"_ He suddenly heard Alyssa shout. " _That's the Shadowman!"_

Zeke's eyes widened, his breath hitched, and he felt his blood run cold. Slowly, he looked back at Silas, who was now walking around the dome barrier, his piercing red gaze never straying.

The archer now knew he wasn't facing any cultist or wizard. He was facing a demon. A demon created by the Zeref himself. A demon whose deeds had been chronicled in horror stories all throughout Fiore's long history. A demon...who had massacred Alyssa's family without remorse.

" _...oh. Oh, fuck!"_ The archer thought to himself.

" _Zeke, just hold on! I'm comin' to back you up!"_ Natsu proclaimed through the mind link.

" _...gotcha,"_ Zeke replied. He was still scared out of his mind, but part of him felt reassured that his best friend would soon be there to help him. He just needed to stall for time.

"Alright," Zeke said, staring the Shadowman straight in his blood-red eyes. "I'll tell you about our history. The legacy of the Hudson family."

" **See? Was that so hard?"** Silas asked with a cocky smirk. Cautiously, Zeke lowered his barrier and dismissed his bow. The silver-haired etherious placed both his hands on his cane, tapping it into the water. " **Well? I'm waiting."**

"Arch Shot was created by my ancestor, Augustus Hudson." Zeke began. "He was a wandering scholar who found purpose fighting alongside the Rune Knights during the Forty-Year War. During that time, he fought against all the horrors that the Diasian Kingdom threw at Fiore. The Fang Worms, the War Golems, the Wandering Madman. But they all paled in comparison to his most dangerous foe, the Diasian Minotaur."

" **Ah, yes. I remember him."** Silas interjected. " **Some poor medicine man who had the misfortune of finding a cursed medallion. He was a giant pain-in-the-ass that massacred hundreds of troops on both sides of the war."**

"...right," Zeke replied, raising his eyebrows at the demon's anecdote. "After almost dying to the minotaur three times, Augustus realized that ordinary Archery magic wouldn't be enough to stop it. So, he spent months creating a new form of magic, one that combined Archery Magic with pure light. And when he battled the Diasian Minotaur again, with the aid of the Black Knight, Augustus landed the killing blow, slaying the monster."

" **...heheheheheAHAHAHAHAHA!"** To Zeke's shock, Silas suddenly burst into laughter. " **Keep going!"**

"About what?"

" **Tell me about Augustus! What was he like?"** The etherious said, his smile growing inhumanely wide. " **And how did he die?"**

"I only know from the stories I've heard about him," Zeke said, that uneasy feeling in his stomach growing stronger and stronger. "They say that Augustus was a loyal and proud man, protecting his comrades from afar. He always fought tooth and nail to defend those in front of him, even if it meant putting himself at harm's risk. But then…Zeref turned against the kingdom and began his plan to kill all humans and replace them with etherious. Samuel led the Rune Knights in an assault against the first Tower of Heaven…and during that fight…"

A look of horrified realization spread across Zeke's face. Suddenly, it was all clicking into place. "Augustus was killed by one of Zeref's demons," he said, his look turning into a glare at Silas. "...you were the one that killed him, weren't you?"

" **Ah, you figured it out! You're almost as sharp as Gus was,"** Silas said with a bemused expression. " **But it seems your story is missing out on a few key details."**

"Like what?"

_(Music Que - Fairy Tail OST: Tartaros)_

" **Well, Augustus was many things. He was proud, loyal to the Fiorian crown above all, and he was stubborn enough to never give up despite all logic. But, he was also crass, over-the-top, arrogant, and was more than willing to get his hands dirty if it meant a victory,"** Silas said, his amused expression slowly fading. " **I probably could've made a whole collection of the high-ranking Diasian officials he assassinated from afar. And of course, there was that whole incident with the Nirvites."**

"What about the Nirvites?" Zeke asked, recognizing the name of the infamous tribe.

" **Ah, you've heard of them. How about the magic weapon they created, Nirvana, ring any bells?"** Silas asked, getting a cautious nod from Zeke. " **Well, according to history, the Nirvites were planning on joining Dias against Fiore. But that's a load of bullshit. Truth is, Nirvana was the tribe's ultimate leverage, a doomsday weapon to keep them out of the war."** The silver-haired etherious mood had now shifted from devilishly playful to stoic seriousness. " **Of course, that bastard Talos wanted Nirvana for Fiore's war effort. So he and his regiment approached the Nirvites, and gave them an ultimatum: surrender Nirvana or die."**

And instantly, Silas' demented smile returned. " **The Nirvite chief said no. So Talos ordered us to slaughter all of them."**

"...What?" Zeke asked in horror as the Shadowman let out a sigh, as though he was fondly remembering the event.

" **I didn't realize it at the time. But looking back, that massacre was beautiful. All those pathetic little humans, taken out with such ease. I still remember the sound of my axe slicing apart the flesh of their strongest warriors. And of course, Augustus did his part."**

"N-no," Zeke said, his legs shaking.

" **Oh, yes. I mean, someone had to make sure any runaways wouldn't make it out of the canyon."** The Shadowman let out a bone-chilling laugh that cut through the air like a knife.

"YOU'RE LYING!" Zeke suddenly shouted, surprising Silas. "Augustus- he wouldn't have done something like that! A HUDSON WOULD NEVER KILL AN INNOCENT!"

" **Trust me, kid, Augustus wasn't anything like the fairy tale you've been taught to believe in,"** the silver-haired etherious replied, his smile faded and his expression hardening with anger. " **He murdered thousands for the crown. No matter who they were. Even if…even if they were his best friend."**

Silas' hands began to shake, whisps of shadow magic rising from his body like smoke as his anger burned hotter and hotter. " **His best friend. The friend who saved his ass hundreds of times! That confided in him when everyone else in the court treated him content and suspicion! WHO INTRODUCED HIM TO FUCKING WIFE!"**

The Shadowman's red eyes bore into Zeke, centuries of resentment and anger pouring out at once. " **How would you feel, knowing that your best friend had spent years creating a whole new form of magic, specifically so he could kill you?"** As he Silas spoke, Zeke seemed to flicker in and out of existence, replaced by Augustus himself. " **You'd probably feel…angry, betrayed…sad."** Silas took a breath, seemingly calming down as a light smile appeared on his face. " **But even with his fancy new magic, he still couldn't kill me. And he became my first meal."**

Zeke felt the world stop spinning. Time slowed to a crawl as he stared down the Etherious. A thousand different thoughts and emotions whirled around in his head like a hurricane. Confusion, denial, anger, fear, all fighting for dominance. But Zeke didn't have time to sort himself out. Right now he needed to focus on staying alive.

" **And now, fate has offered me a chance to do it all again. Another chance to kill a Hudson in the Tower of Heaven,"** Silas said as his smile once more became inhumanely large. " **So I'm going to savor biting in and ripping your flesh apart, bit by bit. And if I'm still hungry, I'll probably do the same thing to the rest of your family. Hunting them down until Augustus's legacy is nothing but the chunks I pick out of my teeth."**

_(Music Que End)_

"Well, about that…" Zeke began to say, as Silas only just noticed that his foe's eyes were glowing green. Emerald Aegis manifested behind Silas and brought its massive arms down on the Etherious, the water exploding from impact and covering the cave.

Silas was quick to strike back. He swung his cane and pushed Emerald Aegis back with a burst of shadow magic. The Shadowman prepared to strike again. But he screamed in pain as another Arch Shot arrow pierced his shoulder. He turned to see Zeke nock another arrow and took evasive action. Silas was forced to dodge both Zeke's arrows and the Fighting Spirit's massive fists.

As soon as he could, Silas evaded and slammed his free hand into the water. Underneath Zeke, a dark purple magic circle manifested under him. The brunette quickly recalled Emerald Aegis as he was consumed by a coffin of shadows, massive spikes levitating around it.

" _ **Shadow Maiden!"**_

With a snap of Silas' fingers, the spikes impaled the coffin. Silas was expecting to hear the lovely sound of his opponent's flesh getting impaled. But instead, Zeke roared as in a flash of green light the coffin was destroyed. Zeke, clad in the partially-manifested Emerald Aegis, shot an arrow that Silas barely dodged. His eyes were emerald pools of defiance as he glared at Silas… the same eyes that Augustus had.

" _How could you, Silas?! You would render all our sacrifices and bloodshed pointless!"_

Silas grit his teeth before letting out an ear-shattering howl, his arms transforming into massive shadow claws.

" _ **I'LL TEAR YOU APART!"**_ Silas shouted as he charged at Zeke with inhuman speed. Zeke quickly encased himself in a dome barrier, Silas slashing at it in a berserker-like rage. Zeke did all he could to keep the shield up, but Silas was relentless. Gone was the silver-haired gentleman and his playful sadism, now there was only a wild beast. Icy cold terror gripped Zeke to his very core. Despite his Arch Shot he was still at a terrible disadvantage, and Zeke knew the moment he got the opportunity, the Shadowman wouldn't hesitate to start eating him. It looked there was no way out.

Until he saw a blur of salmon rushing into the room.

_(Music Que - Fairy Tail OST: Fierce Fight Against Demons)_

" _Fire Dragon's Blazing Kick!"_ Natsu shouted, kicking Silas in the face and sending him flying backward. He then turned to Zeke and gave a thumbs up. "Hey, Zeke! Good to see ya!"

"You too, Natsu," Zeke smiled back before the two quickly looked back at Silas, how dipped his head in the water to put out the fire.

" **Salamander, you keep showing up when I least expect it,"** Silas grumbled. It had been a long time since he'd encountered a Wizard with Fire Magic strong enough to harm him the same way Light Magic and its ilk could.

"What can I say? It's my specialty." Natsu smirked. But before the two friends could make their next move, Silas inflated his arms into massive wriggling balls of shadow.

" _ **Shadow Needles!"**_ The Shadowman's arms exploded in a volley of magical needles. On instinct, Zeke conjured up another barrier to block the barrage as Silas sank into the water. He slithered behind the two. Zeke caught the movement out of the corner of his eye, jumping out of the way of shadow spike aimed for his heart. But he wasn't quick enough and the spike got him the shoulder.

"AHHH!" Zeke cried, clutching his wound.

"Zeke!" Natsu shouted. He gritted his teeth and conjured his Dragon Claws. Natsu attacked the etherious. Silas parried Natsu's strikes with his cane. Zeke tried taking potshots at the Shadowman. Silas dodged the arrows by a hair's breadth. Natsu swung again. Silas melted into a shadow and crawled up the wall.

Deciding to take out both his foes in one go, Silas channeled all the mana he could muster through his etherion core. An overwhelming pressure radiated from Silas as his left arm transformed into the head of massive snarling wolf shadow with jagged teeth and blood-red eyes glaring down at the wizards.

" _ **SHADOW MAW!"**_

The wolf's head charged at Natsu and Zeke faster than the eye could see, ready to consume them in one bite. On instinct, they readied their magic, but it was too late. The Shadow Maw was right on top of them, teeth inches away from tearing into their flesh.

A blur of orange and purple rushed in and struck the Shadow Maw with enough force to send it crashing into the ceiling. Natsu and Zeke didn't have time to process what had just happened when they were lifted off the ground and instantly carried to the other side of the room. Natsu and Zeke looked up and saw Alyssa with a huge smile on her face.

"Thanks, Alyssa!" Natsu said, smiling at his fiance as she put him and Zeke down.

"You cut your hair," Zeke said, trying to catch his breath.

"And you got rid of your suit," Alyssa joked as the three turned their eyes towards Silas, his red eyes boring holes into the trio.

" **Well, well, well. The girl who got away is here too."** Silas said, licking his lips as he smiled. " **Looks like I get to settle all of my unfinished business today. Lucky, lucky me."**

There was no need to talk as the three readied themselves to fight again. Natsu struck a dragon stance, his Beast Aura flowing around him. Alyssa summoned her Jet Empress armor, taking a boxing stance with her fists clenched. And Zeke aimed his bow at Silas's head as Emerald Aegis manifested behind him.

The founders of Team Morningstar were reunited, ready to battle the monster that had unknowingly haunted most of their lives.

Zeke fired a Seeker Arrow. Silas morphed his body and created a hole in his body where the arrow would've hit. With a flick of Zeke's fingers, the arrow turned around, stabbing Silas in the shoulder, causing him to cry out. Alyssa blasted ahead, their fists reared back.

" _Speed Queen: Hundred-Strike Punch!"_ Normally, a melee attack spell like Alyssa's would simply pass through Silas' shadow body. But since she was clad in Soul Armor, Silas felt the full force of each strike, wisps of black shadow knocked out of him like blood.

As Alyssa was busy pummeling the living shadow, Natsu held up his right hand above his head, palm flat facing the sky. Channeling his Beast Aura magic, a spinning disc of raw magical energy manifested in his palm.

" _Beast Aura: Dragon Cyclone!"_ Natsu yelled, throwing it at Silas. The spell sliced off his and the Shadowman screamed in pain.

' **WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?!'** Silas thought to himself before Emerald Aegis manifested behind him. It grabbed him by the head and slammed him repeatedly into the floor. Enraged, Silas transformed his body into a mass of shadow tendrils. The tendrils slashed at Emerald Aegis, littering its torso in cuts. Identical wounds appeared on Zeke's body, forcing him to dismiss his Fighting Spirit. Silas continued to roar, his lower body now having transformed into a maelstrom of tendrils, ready to rip apart anything foolish enough to come close.

However, Natsu simply ran forward. His breathing technique calmed him as he weaved through the whirling chaos of tendrils, almost like a dancer. When he was almost at the center of the spiraling mass, Natsu channeled his magic into his fist.

" _BEAST AURA: DRAGON CHARGE!"_ Natsu shouted with all his might, delivering a punch that shined like red hot iron. As soon as Natsu's fist made contact with Silas, a massive red dragon effigy consumed the Shadowman. Silas let out a cry of pain as he was sent flying into the air.

Seeing an opportunity to finish off the monster, the jets on Alyssa's boots ignited. She blasted into the air until she was above the airborne Silas. At the same time, Zeke took aim with an arrow overflowing with crackling magical energy.

" _JETSTREAM KNUCKLE!"_

" _ARCH SHOT: DEMOLITION ARROW!"_

Silas was consumed by the combined might of Alyssa's fist and Zeke's arrow. With a final wail that cut through the air and reverberated to the wizards' very cores, Silas' body disintegrated. Alyssa landed on the floor, none of the trio noticing a tiny cracked orb dropping in the water.

_(Music Que End)_

The wizards dismissed their magic as Natsu and Zeke approaching Alyssa.

"Is…is he dead?" Alyssa asked.

"Looks like it," Zeke said. Alyssa let out the biggest sigh of relief Zeke had ever seen as Natsu rubbed her back.

"That inky bastard didn't stand a chance!" Natsu exclaimed

"It's finally over," Alyssa said. It felt as if a giant weight she hadn't known about had been lifted from her shoulders. Finally, after all these years, Alyssa's family and everyone that Shadowman had hurt during his accursed existence could rest in peace.

" **N-not by a...long...shot…"** The three wizards' eyes widened in horror. They whipped around and cried out in shock at what they saw. Rising out of the water like some sort of twisted, evil reed was a small blob of wavering shadow wrapped around the cracked core. A pair of blood-red eyes grew out of it and glared at the three.

"How the hell is it still alive?!" Natsu shouted.

" **...I...AM….MAGIC…"**

Zeke summoned his bow and attempted to shoot the tiny shadow, only for the shadow to slip through the cracks in the wall, taking its core with it.

"Of course it couldn't be that simple," Alyssa sighed, only for Natsu to pat her on the shoulder.

"Maybe not. But we kicked his ass. And if we run into him again, we'll just have to kick his ass again," Natsu said with a reassuring smile, which made his fiance smile back. Suddenly, the three felt a massive gust of wind coming from the next room and…

" _WEATHER CONTROL: GRAND TYPHOON!_

With the sound of crashing waves and furious winds, the trio ran back towards the room, where they found a panting Juvia…as well the destroyed remains of the floor above them.

"Damn, Juvia. What happened here?" Alyssa asked.

"And where's Happy?" Zeke asked as Juvia stood back up, wiping the sweat from her brow.

"Well, I managed to defeat the snake woman, finally," The blue-haired woman answered, saying that last part under her breath in mild frustration. "And Happy left to go plant the bombs."

"Bombs?" Natsu and Alyssa asked.

"Yup," Zeke said with a cocky smirk. "Before we snuck in, I told him to find the support beams and plant some lacrima bombs. After that, we let everyone know to evacuate the tower before Happy blows it sky-high. In fact, I should probably check on him."

Zeke placed his fingers on his temple and attempted to access Warren's mental link. " _Happy, give me an update."_

But there was no response from the cat.

" _Happy? Dad? Warren? Lucy? Anyone?"_ Zeke thought before trying to mentally communicate with the other three in the room. Again, all he got was silence before he spoke up. "Something's up with Warren's mental link."

The three's eyes widened as they attempted to use the link, to no avail.

"You think something happened to Warren?" Juvia asked.

"Well, there are a few possibilities," Zeke replied. "He could've run out of mana from keeping so many people in contact, an enemy attacked or…or killed him. Or this cult has a wizard that can block telepathy."

"Then what're we standin' around for?" Natsu asked. "Let's go upstairs and kick some ass!"

"Ditto!" Alyssa cheered on. But before the two couples could decide their next move, a pulse of dark purple magic appeared from above before moving down to the waterway below them.

"You guys saw that, right?" Alyssa asked, the other three nodding.

Suddenly, Natsu's ears picked up a sound. "I think there's something in the water." And indeed, without warning, a molding wet corpse jumped out from the water, letting out an inhuman wale that terrified the four. Acting on pure instinct, Juvia cast a Water Slicer that decapitated the corpse, its limp body falling back into the water.

"What the fuck was that?!" Zeke shouted. Soon, more corpses began to emerge from the water, some leaping and screaming while others could barely manage to push themselves up. And seemed like more and more were emerging by the second.

As the four wizards readied themselves for a battle against the undead, on another floor, the small ink of shadow that was Silas manifested on an upper floor. And when he manifested eyes, he see a three-way battle between a few of the Fairy Tail wizards, the Zeref Cult, and a group of Holy Crusaders.

However, a chuckle escaped his ethereal form. He needed to consume raw mana in order to fix his core. And what better way to do that then chowing down on three groups he absolutely hated?

And as the chaos of the three-way battle continued, the Shadowman struck his first victim.

_**To be continued…** _


End file.
